NBA odds 2020: Eastern Conference picks, predictions, teams to avoid from expert on 113-84 run

The coronavirus pandemic has halted nearly the entire sports world, and the NBA is no exception. The remainder of the league’s regular season and postseason have been shelved until further notice, but commissioner Adam Silver has been steadfast that the league will find a way to finish. The postseason has been one of the most anticipated in recent memory, considering the personnel moves made during the previous offseason that led to strong parity on both conferences.

Sportsbooks like William Hill US have continued to accept wagers on 2020 NBA futures. In fact, William Hill lists the Milwaukee Bucks as -250 favorites (risk $250 to win $100) to win the Eastern Conference and advance to the NBA Finals. Even so, there are a handful of other viable contenders that may analysts believe could advance and play for the Larry O’Brien trophy. Before making any 2020 NBA future wagers on the Eastern Conference, make sure you hear what SportsLine expert Mike Barner has to say.

A nationally acclaimed NBA expert, Barner uses in-depth knowledge of every roster to find betting advantages, both against the spread and in the futures market. His knowledge has been on full display this season, as he has emerged as SportsLine’s No. 1 NBA expert. When play was halted, Barner was 113-84 on NBA picks, returning a whopping $2,063 to $100 players. Anyone who has followed his NBA picks is way up.

Now, Barner has broken down the latest 2020 NBA Eastern Conference futures odds and revealed his top picks, as well as his teams to avoid. He has dug deep into the data to discern every team’s true power rating and make his top-value selections. Those picks are only available over at SportsLine.

Team to avoid in the 2020 Eastern Conference title odds

One surprise: Barner is fading the Toronto Raptors (+500), who made a surprising run to win last year’s NBA title. The Raptors were favored to come out of the Eastern Conference, but still could be found at odds of 8-1 or better to win it all before the playoffs started. That’s largely because the Golden State Warriors were heavily favored to capture another title. Toronto had the longest odds on the board after it was down 2-0 to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. But Kawhi Leonard led a monumental rally in the series and then led the Raptors past injury-ravaged Golden State for their first title in franchise history.

However, the mercurial Leonard proved to be a one-and-done, leaving after the season to join the Los Angeles Clippers and make them among the favorites to win this year’s championship. Even so, the Raptors have admirably pushed forward and went into the work stoppage with a 46-18 record and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

How to make 2020 Eastern Conference title picks

Barner has found another team he believes has significantly more value, and he’s also eyeing a huge long shot that could lead to a big payout. He’s only sharing who they are here.

Who wins the 2020 NBA Eastern Conference title? And which long shot could stun the NBA? Check out the updated NBA Eastern Conference title odds below for the teams still in the hunt, and then visit SportsLine now to see Mike Barner’s NBA Eastern Conference futures picks, all from the expert who has returned over $2,000 on his NBA spread picks in the 2019-20 season.